Thought of The Day

 

How To Bake A Pie

November 12, 2024

          So, you want to bake a pie, do you? Well, then we must first make a couple of decisions. First, make sure a pie is really what you want. Don’t waste your time making a pie if cake is truly what you want. Don’t settle for pie if you’re only doing it because you’re scared to bake a cake or if someone else has told you that you can’t have cake. But if have thought this through and pie is what you want, more than anything else, and you are willing to put in the work, you can have pie. But now you have another choice, what kind of pie do you want to bake? Just saying I want pie isn’t going to get you what you want. You have to be specific. You need to be able to visualize it. You must be able to describe it in detail, and you should be able to taste it, or I dare say, you don’t really want pie!

            Congratulations, you have decided on a Dutch chocolate pie with whipped meringue topping. Step one is to get a recipe. You can google it and find many different recipes or call your grandmother who you know loves you and has made these pies forever. She can help you and walk you through the process. It’s your choice, but doesn’t it make sense to get help? Now it’s time to gather the ingredients. She tells you exactly what and how much of each thing you need, and you pull stuff out of the cabinets, and are ready to begin. First, take 4oz of 72% dark chocolate roughly chopped and put it in a mixing bowl. You don’t have that, so you use two Hershy bars and crumble them up. Next, add one-fourth oz. of vanilla extract. Nope, don’t have that either, but you have half of a Coke Vanilla left, ahh dump that in, should be close enough. Now add 9 ½ oz. of granulated sugar. Surely this presweetened Kool-Aid will work, right? Now add ½ teaspoons of espresso powder. What the heck is that? I’m sure baking powder must be about the same thing.

Oops, I am about to give away my grandmother’s secret recipe we have had in the family for years, I feel like that dog, in the Bush’s Baked Beans commercial. Anyway, by now, you surely can see that this pie is doomed, and there is no way if we continue to put the wrong things into our pie, it will yield the desired finished product. Why? Is it because we aren’t trying? No that’s not the reason, you are making the effort, but what you put in your pie, will determine its outcome! It is the very same thing when it comes to our minds. Do you ever stop and think about what you are feeding your brain? Do you consider what your children are filling their minds with? Odds are, most people are intelligent enough to at least attempt, to restrict their children from watching inappropriate things on TV or listening to vulgar music, and though it is a real struggle, try to monitor what they see on the internet. But what about you? If you are filling your mind with smut, pornography, vile and tasteless music, or videos, what do you think that is doing for your thoughts? Do you think for one minute that kind of stuff has a positive effect or no effect on you? If you do, I’m telling you, that you are sadly mistaken. And if you are not guilty of those things, congratulations, but that still doesn’t guarantee a tasty pie. What about other contaminants you allow, they are just as toxic to your mind. Things such as; stress, fear, worry, anger, or unforgiveness, can pollute the healthiest of minds.

We can’t completely control what thoughts enter our mind, because they come from everywhere. However, we do have the power to choose what we deliberately allow in our homes and lives, and we can choose which thoughts we hold on to and which ones we cast out. Your thoughts have power. When we align our thoughts with God’s word and his will, they can protect us and comfort us. They can reassure us and guide us. There are a great number of people who teach on the subject of the power of positive thinking. I highly recommend investing your spare time educating yourself on this subject and recommend Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnegie, and my all-time favorite Norman Vincent Peale. But let us not forget the best source of how to keep our minds, bodies, and souls clean and healthy, and that is God’s word. There are endless scriptures about the subject, that can be found in the Bible, just google (scriptures about positive thinking).

But how am I supposed to keep a positive attitude, when my life is so full of problems? That is an excellent question and we should address it. First of all, if you read some of my earlier stories about perception, you would already have a pretty good clue about how to deal with problems, but if you didn’t, let’s review. Our perspective of a problem makes all the difference. You might be asking, how does the way I look at something change it? Again, excellent question. The next time a jet is flying overhead, take your hand or finger and hold it up between you and the jet. If you can block it out with the tip of your finger, then that must be a very small jet. But if you go to the airport, and see that same jet up close, that thing is humongous. Your perspective works much in the same way, our perception determines the size and potential harm of a problem. If we perceive it as unconquerable, then we will most likely approach it with a pessimistic attitude, thereby diminishing our chances of successfully defeating it.

It is human nature to try to avoid problems, pain, or discomfort of any kind. We learn at an early age these things are unpleasant and that it is best to avoid them at all costs. When the truth of the matter is, all of these things are great teachers and motivators. Without problems, mankind would have not advanced nearly as far as we have come scientifically, or in the field of medicine. Without a problem, what would motivate someone to seek a solution? Physical pain is a sophisticated warning system, that alerts us to a problem developing in our bodies, or warns us what we are doing is unhealthy for us. And let’s be honest, comfort is a pleasing sensation, but does not incentivize us to improve.

If we can teach ourselves that a problem is no more than an opportunity to grow or make something better. If we can convince ourselves that problems shouldn’t be feared or avoided. If we can force our minds to realize that problems exist to make us better, then half the battle is already won. God doesn’t do things to hurt us, he is a loving father, but he sees the value and purpose of giving us trials. If we are wise loving parents, we realize our children have to learn to deal with problems to make them strong and able to stand on their own feet. If we never let go of their tiny precious hands and let them fall a few times, they would have never learned to walk. The truth is, the more you do, the more problems you will have. The more powerful you become, the more problems you will have. If you have no problems, then I assure you, you have no life, and you are accomplishing nothing!

I know we have all heard that God will not put on you more than you can bear, referring to (read) 1 Corinthians 10:13. A lot of people don’t fully understand this scripture. It does not say, he will only allow you to have problems you are able to handle. No, then what does it say? It says you will not face anything other people haven’t also faced, and whatever problem you have, he will help you and make a way to get through it or escape it. If God sees the value of a challenge or struggle, then we too should strive to accept them as a good thing. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Meaning that we should not lean on our own understanding or our thoughts on how life should be. But instead, renew our minds where we trust God’s will and know that all things work for the good to he who loves God. We have to believe that the easy way is not always the best way.

Now let’s go back to our pie, and see how that fits in with our life. Do you remember step one? You have to know what you want. Take the time today and sit down and really examine what you want your life to be. If you don’t know or are undecided, stay on that until you do. You need to be specific too. Don’t just say I want to be happy. Figure out what it is that will make you happy. Why waste your time and effort baking a cake if pie is what you want?  Once you know what you want out of life, you need a plan or a recipe. Again, you can Google it, ask your friends who are as lost as you or look to the world who could care less if you are happy or not. Or you can turn to the Heavenly Father, who loves you and cares about you and will not only give you the recipe you need but will guide you through it. Ok, so you have chosen wisely and decided to turn to God to direct you, but let’s not forget the disaster we encountered while trying to make a pie. God gives us a recipe for success, but the minute we start substituting ingredients, taking shortcuts, or not following his instructions, what do you suppose, is going to happen?  Then when disaster hits, we want to blame God.

Like I said earlier, problems and pain, are seldom bad. They are a warning that we are not doing something right, or they are just God helping us to grow and become stronger and wiser. My mother said, “If you have never burnt a few biscuits in your life, you haven’t spent much time in the kitchen.” If you have never had to deal with problems, how much help could you possibly be, in counseling others. I’m not going to suggest, that there is never a time to ask for help or to get something for nothing. But I will say, when you work hard for something, or you have to fight and endure hardships to achieve something, it will mean so much mor to you, and ninety-nine percent of the time, you not only get what you were seeking, but you gain so much more.

I want to mention one last thing about dealing with problems. One of the best ways to get your mind off your problems and very often, even solve your problems, is to put your focus on helping someone else solve theirs. As Christians, God tells us to share our neighbors’ burdens. He tells us over and over about the fruits of the spirit found in, Galatians 5:22-23.  (little hint) these fruits are the perfect ingredients, and if you follow God’s word as your recipe. You will  always make a great pie!

 

P.S. In case you were wondering what kinds of things we should be putting into our hearts and minds the following describes it pretty well!

Scripture of The Day:    Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

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Good People Good News

November 8, 2024

           

            All around the world, we hear about problems. The news keeps us informed about every natural disaster that occurs globally, we hear about corruption in every country. There are threats of wars, famine, pestilence, and unimaginable evils, people are forced to endure. There seems to be no end to the suffering human beings will cause one another. If all you ever listen to, is the news, this world seems like a dark intolerable place, that could only be outdone by Hell. And the human race, as a whole, is just another dark stain on the planet and probably should be done away with.

            But the good news is, while all of that may be true, there is another side to this story. Good people and good news, do exist! They just don’t make the headlines. For some reason, people prefer to hear about the bad stuff. They want to gossip about the juicy stuff while ignoring the good around them. A High School student carrying a gun to school will be on the National News and being discussed at Walmart before the incident can be dealt with, but a student decides to give his life over to God, doesn’t even make the church bulletins, and half the congregation may not even hear about it. A woman abandons her kids, and everyone seems to enjoy playing judge and casting their moral ballot, but does anyone praise or even consider the sister or grandparents that step in and take those children in? In 2024 there are over 1,280.000 sworn law enforcement officers in the United States, and probably 98% of them risk their lives to protect and serve the public each and every day, without receiving much appreciation, but let one or two bad characters do something wrong and the news media have a field day, and the public wants to blame the entire Police Force. I could fill books full of anecdotal examples of this point, but I think you get the message.

            Today, I would like to take the spotlight off the bad and the ugly and focus it on where it should be. I want to mention and thank every hard-working honest person in the world, for simply doing the best you know how to be a decent person. If you wake up each day and do your part, (whatever that may be), to support your family, friends, community, or workplace, then you help make this world a better place. There are takers and givers, and if you are a giver, I want you to know that while your name may not appear in a headline, you are the frontline defense against this world completely going to Hell in a basket!  I don’t have time to mention each and every title or position that comprises the force of good in this world, and it makes no difference where you fit in. You are either living your life in a good way and helping others or you are not. You are either a taker or a giver, and if you are contributing, then that makes you a giver, and for that, you deserve recognition and respect.

            While it is true, that some people go above and beyond in their selfless giving, and their lives are notably worthy of praise. Again, I could offer many examples of whom I am referring, like the single moms who work tirelessly to care for their children, or the volunteers who keep worthwhile charitable organizations afloat, but we all can do our share for the sake of goodness. I offer this analogy of the point I’m making. If you take all the givers on one side and the takers on the other, and have this huge tug-of-war contest, then everybody pulling for the side of good makes a difference. Like I said, there will be those who are remarkably strong, but they couldn’t do it on their own. Everyone who contributes, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is what keeps the other side from claiming a victory.

            Christians, there is no doubt about which end of the rope you should be pulling, but keep in mind, that is only part of your job. We should also be busy recruiting for our side. There are clearly forces of evil at work in this world and we are the counter-balance. We are God’s army that keeps those forces at bay. God’s word will be fulfilled, and Jesus will return someday to claim his sovereignty, but until then, it is our job to defend goodness and what is right. I don’t care what side of the political fence you stand. It makes no difference if you just experienced a victory or a loss, it is every good person’s job to hold our political leaders to doing what is right and what is just. It is our duty to make our voices heard and make our concerns matter. No matter who may sit in that Oval Office, this tug-of-war is not over, and evil is not going to take a holiday or surrender. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” I know a lot of us feel our voice can’t make a difference, but if we add our voice to an army of voices, we are loud. And just like when the Israelites obeyed God, he gave them victory over any opposing armies, he will bless us and make us victorious, as long as we are fighting his fight.

            Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” This affirms that we are not to turn a blind eye to evil and unjustness, we are to stand for righteousness at all times and in all things, not only for ourselves but for those who are unable to defend themselves. Just as the Bible teaches us we are all part of the body of Christ, and each of us has different talents and skills, strengths, and weaknesses, if we come together and work together, we are a powerful force for good. Read, Ephesians 4:11-16. Take that wisdom and add it to what it says in Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasures of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

            I am not advocating that we start fights or set out to cause trouble, but I am saying, that if you have ever wondered whether you should have spoken up against evil or injustice, then the answer is most likely, YES! The time for remaining quiet, while evil heralds its victories and proclaims you do not have the right to be heard, is over. Winston Churchill said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing!”

 

Scripture of The Day:    Psalms 12:1-8

“Help. Lord; for the Godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the toungue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With out toungue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. The words of the Lord are pure words: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.”

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I Pay My Own Bills Thank You

November 6, 2024

                If you went out today and got a new haircut, would you need to go around telling people, or would you expect them to notice? If you drop a hundred pounds since the last time you saw your friends, don’t you think they would notice and would be commenting about your weight loss before you finish walking up to them? Well, those things are easy to spot, especially for people who know you well. But people notice other things as well. Haven’t you ever had someone say, “You don’t feel well, do you?” Or out of the blue someone says OK, so what’s bothering you. And I think almost everyone will agree, you can’t hide anything from your mamma. She has a way of knowing you sometimes better than you know yourself. And if you are fortunate enough to find a good partner, your spouse can usually do that same thing. I can look into my wife’s eyes and with about 90% accuracy tell if she is happy, sad, mad, worried, not feeling well, etc.

            So, it always worries me when a salesman, contractor, or politician tries to use God as their personal endorsement. I don’t mean to judge but it makes me wonder when someone has to keep telling you they are a Christian. When a person decides to give their life to God and is born again, a change naturally occurs inside that person. Aside from the immediate jubilation, a slow steady change begins to take place from within. Yes, it’s different for all people, but usually, the first change you notice, is they seem happier. This is most likely due to the fact, that they have unburdened themselves of all the sin and guilt they have been carrying around. They act like someone who was just released from prison, because in a sense they were. They are happy to be free finally, but may also be a little intimidated because it’s a lot to take in. They are not used to their newfound freedom and are not a hundred- percent sure what they are supposed to do with it yet. They are so used to being told what to think, do, and say, so freedom can be a little overwhelming, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling wonderful.

            Then a few days go by, they start accepting their new reality, and realize all of this is not just a dream. Then the challenge of living stares them in the face. Not completely sure what their first steps should be, not sure what is expected of them, or how to go about starting their new lives, they oftentimes will turn their minds towards seeking out old friends. It seems like a good idea until they find that their old friends are still stuck in their old lives and haven’t changed, but you have! You find that your likes are changing, and your view of life is different now. You worry that you’re not strong enough to resist being pulled right back into your old life, (and that is a sign of wisdom!) But more than that, you don’t look at your old friends the same. The very things you used to like about them or maybe what drew you together in the first place, you now see as a threat to your newfound happiness. Even your friends are asking you, “What’s wrong with you, you seem different, are you OK?” What they are probably picking up on is your sadness because you have to admit to yourself that this friendship is not going to work. You know you are not strong enough yet, to hang around them and not be tempted to return to your old ways. And sadly, you know you’re not strong enough to rescue them from the same prison you were in. But you vow in your mind, to get that strong and come back for them. A few days go by, you don’t hear from anyone, and your suspicions that they felt just as uncomfortable as you did, are confirmed and you now realize it’s time to move on.

            Now the ole Devil is picking up on your fears of having to face this new life alone, and don’t you know it, he doesn’t show you any mercy. He doesn’t give you time to get your footing or collect your thoughts, he comes at you with everything he has in his arsenal. But his weapon of choice is doubt. He will tell you that you are not really free, there was some mistake, and you still belong to him. He will tell you that you are incapable of change, and deep down inside, that’s not what you want anyway. He will tell you that you are not strong enough to make it without him and that everyone else has abandoned you, but he still wants and cares for you. He will try to convince you that it is the rest of the world is lying to you and that is why you feel so mixed up. He will reminisce about the good old days and all the fun you had. And he will try to make you forget how bad things really were, and where that so-called fun got you.

            Up to this point, this story sounds pretty gloomy. It seems there is no hope and that you might be doomed to return to a life where you knew there could be no happy ending. But the thing about a story is, you need a hero. Someone who can enter a situation, turn things around, and bring a happy ending. Up till now, there has been no mention of a hero, so what did you expect? Did you really think all this would be easy, and that you could do it on your own? Wow, you must be into fiction, not real life and its drama. I know the way I worded this it was hard to tell if I was speaking about being released from Federal Prison or getting saved. I did that on purpose to point out the many similarities. In both instances, you were being held prisoner against your will, and you would never choose to go back. Your actions or lack of them are what got you in trouble and landed you where you were. Neither place is a place someone would choose if they knew a better place and a better life awaiting them. And at both places, a price had to be paid for your freedom to be won. In order for you to gain your freedom, someone had to serve your sentence and satisfy your debt to the law. In the case of salvation, that debt was paid by Jesus, and you know exactly how the story ends. If you had to serve jail time to satisfy your debt, then you got a very small taste of what Jesus paid. Because he paid the sin debt for all of mankind, you only paid for your infraction of the law. If you served time in jail, I bet you have a deep appreciation for what it takes to pay your debt, but because Jesus paid a debt that he didn’t owe, a debt that we couldn’t pay, I think many people can’t fully understand or appreciate what he did. If you served time in jail, maybe you have a keener sense of what it means for someone to take your punishment for you. Because that is exactly what Jesus did for all of mankind.

            Another notable similarity between the two situations is, now that you are out of that prison, you find the world is not there to welcome you with open arms. It’s quite the contrary. People label you and look down on you as if you have something they don’t want to catch. You are stigmatized and branded. Even though your sentence has been served and your debt paid, you are expected to prove yourself. If you are straight out of jail, the world expects you to prove that you are trustworthy. If you are a new Christian, the world expects you to be perfect. Who can make it under these kinds of pressure? Well, I suppose I should quit ruminating on the bad parts and get to the part where the hero enters the story. The only thing better than a story with a hero that creates a happy ending, is a surprise ending that has two heroes. We all make mistakes, we’ve all followed the wrong path at some time in our life. The fact that you have made the decision to turn your life around and are showing the sheer determination it requires to succeed, makes you a hero. And if you are smart enough to turn to someone much greater than yourself for help, makes you a wise hero!

            God doesn’t hold your past against you! If you were born again, all your sins are forgiven and forgotten. Micah 7:19 says, “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” If you are a convicted felon, God doesn’t care. His offer of mercy and grace is open to you, just like anyone else. In fairness, you also need to know that just because you paid your debt to man, that didn’t do anything to erase your sin debt. But unlike man, God only has two labels, you are either forgiven, and belong to him, or un-saved and Satan owns your soul. God desperately desires to be your hero. He can take whatever situation you have got yourself into, he can take the total mess you have made of yourself, and use you and change you to make something beautiful. He took a murderer by the name of Saul, and converted him into (In my opinion) one of the greatest men of the Bible. If you’ve ever read any of the Bible you’ve probably heard the name of the Apostle Paul. If he can take a man like that and change him the way he did, I think it is very fair to say, God can do this for you as well. And if you’ve already given your life to God, don’t look back, don’t faint, and don’t let the Devil tell you anything. Keep your faith in the Lord, trust in him in all your ways, pray without ceasing, and put him first in your life. By doing those things, he is inspired to share and grant you some of his super-powers, that every hero needs, and he will forever prove himself to be the hero in your life.

            If none of this sounds appealing to you, and you want to pay your own way and do your own thing, he won’t force himself on anyone. But one final warning, you can pay your debt to mankind and society, you may be able to pay your bills without help from anyone, but God tells us there is only one, who is worthy to satisfy your sin debt, and that is Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father except by me.”

 

           

           

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Guest Author

Aaron Adkins

October 27, 2024

 

Is The Prize Worth The Pain

 

I remember those hot summer days on the football field practicing for long hours and reaching the point where your body would just quit working. It got miserable at times, and yes it was painful. However, those Friday nights under the lights and you took home that big win, made the pain seem small and it was surely worth the prize. It was the same in the police academy, we were away from home, being yelled at and treated worse than dogs, people taking every last bit of anything our bodies had left to offer. But it all served a purpose. The end result was worth the pain and suffering. I’m sure at some time in your life everyone has experienced some pain to get something they wanted.

Today I will leave work and head to a funeral for one of my fellow brothers in blue. I found out earlier this week that he had fought as hard as he possibly could and could fight no longer. The word cancer is a scary thing. I pray that I never have to experience it myself, but it has touched several members of my family. Without saying names, one of my family members, who is a true hero in my mind, suffers from cancer, and has been battling this disease for years. Only by God’s grace is she still with us to this day! The crazy part that always gets to me, is how she never complains about the hand she has been given. She is always a light in a room full of people, filling their hearts with happiness and joy.

The loss of my friend reminded me of when I lost my brother several years ago. I remember how angry and saddened I was, and I remember feeling every other emotion one could feel, and I experienced them all at the same time. Not long after that, my wife and I lost our unborn child. I reached the point, where I started questioning what in the world God was doing. Did I make him mad? Did I do something wrong? I remember lying in bed soaking in my own self-pity after we left the doctor’s office. That week happened to be the week of revival at my church. And my wife, who I think was suffering the most, came to my bed and said to me, “ You are getting your butt up off that bed, and taking us to church.” We went back and forth for a while and finally, I gave in. God gave us the answers we needed that night and has continued every day since then. I say all of this to try and make a point. I have had buddies and co-workers ask me, “Well if God is so good then why do these things happen?” I believe the Bible gives us many different answers but the one that has truly given me peace with the suffering, we must endure during our lives on earth is as simple as this. THIS IS NOT OUR HOME!! ITS ONLY TEMPORARY!! And if we look at others when we’re dealing with pain, we can always find someone who has it worse. But the facts remain, our pain can never compare to what Jesus suffered for us. And if God can send his only child to die for a nasty ole sinner like me, then why can’t I be brave and strong enough to endure some hard times for him? Death to the earthly mind is devastating, but to God, it’s just his child returning home! Sickness to the earthly mind is cruel, but to God, it’s just a test of faith. As I said earlier, my family member who is battling one of these illnesses, shows every day how this world cannot break what God has built. When I was speaking with my dad the other day, I told him how I felt at peace with death. Not that I wish it upon anyone or want it myself, but if it happens, I know where I’m going!! I told him that the only thing that might hurt me is leaving behind my wife and kids, but I trust God would get us all through that if and when that happens.

Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-11

I pray that everyone reading this, no matter what life throws at you, will keep the faith and realize it’s all temporary. I struggle with this myself and it is something I ask God to grant me strength to endure. So today when I see my brother lying in his casket, I know God will give me peace. The only thing that should truly scare us and deprive us of that peace, is not knowing whether or not our brothers and sisters are right with the lord!  Stop worrying about the struggles and suffering the world throws at us and focus on making sure you know where your family members and friends will spend eternity. As I said, this is something I battle with myself and it is the reason, I felt led to say it. It’s not always easy to ask someone if they are ready to meet the Lord. It’s not always easy to offer your testimony. But is your discomfort worth the prize? 

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Guest Author

Aaron Adkins

October 25, 2024

 

Why Choose God?

I’m not really sure why this has been on my mind. Every time I feel the lord has given me a message it’s never failed. Typically, God gives me a message through a life experience however this was just a thought that hit pretty hard. I remember as a young boy sitting around feeling convicted about how I knew God but I didn’t really know him. I remember one evening sitting outside our house on the four-wheeler. I remember a feeling coming over me where I was just scared to death with the thought of going to hell. I believe it was the next Sunday setting in church and that same feeling returned, only this time it was stronger and felt more urgent. That was the day I asked God to be in my life. I remember being excited to tell my parents, the pastor, and anyone that I could share this amazing news with. Since then, I’ve failed God many times, I’ve turned my back on him, to the point, where I no longer felt his presence. Many times, I’ve questioned my faith wondering if I had done something wrong, or if possibly I was mistaken, and had never been saved at all. There were times I didn’t speak with the lord for weeks at a time, then the moment that fear swept over me, I went running straight back towards him. I know that Satan is to blame for my doubts and many of my other problems. However, I am clearly to blame for not spending more time getting to know God and praying for answers. In the past few years, my relationship with God has grown stronger than ever before. And I’ve grown to realize, God is more than an escape from Hell, he is my friend! When I’m talking to him sometimes, I get so wrapped up in it, I sometimes worry people are thinking I’m a crazy person. He holds my hand when I walk, He picks me up when I fall, and he loves me when I feel nobody should. My God is an amazing father and he has blessed me and taken care of me far more than I deserve. I tell you all of this because God laid this question on my heart. Why did you, or why do you, want your salvation? Is it just because you didn’t want to die and go to hell? While that’s important and a very good reason in itself, I feel as it shouldn’t be your only reason. If your only reason to have God in your life is because of fear, then in my opinion you are missing out on many of the best things God has to offer. I feel you need to pray and question whether you have a relationship with God. I spent many years working as a police officer and spent a lot of hours in the courtroom. No matter what their charge may have been, if you ask the defendants if they would say or do this to be free, I would bet that they would accept your offer faster than you could finish saying it. But does that make them a changed person? I don’t believe it does. It was just an easy way out from the fear of the consequences. I just wanted to challenge everyone to truly take some time to ask yourself what your salvation means to you. Was it just an escape or did a change of your heart take place? Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please him:  for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  Spend some time to get to know God. The more you learn about him the more you will love and depend on him. If you have faith then there must be love!! God is an amazing friend who will truly give you everything you need.

 

 

Note From The Editor:

I have one of these new smartphones that is capable of doing endless tasks that I am not aware of, don’t understand, and have no clue how to implement its many functions. While this phone fulfills my needs, I underutilize its capabilities so much it’s shameful. I don’t scratch the surface of its capabilities. I believe this is one of the points the author is making as it relates to our relationships with God. He is willing and able to do so much more for us if we allow him and ask him to.

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Worthy to Judge

October 22, 2024

            How important are first impressions to you? I’ve heard it said that your very first impression of something or someone occurs within three seconds of experiencing it. After that, you begin to notice details that will weigh in on your overall opinion but they will be swayed one way or the other by your initial thoughts. If this theory is correct, how could anyone believe that appearance doesn’t matter? In the past, I made it a habit to over-dress for an interview, and it always seemed to serve me well. The presentation is important when your waiter brings your food to the table. Even if the food is delicious, if it looks like the cook tossed the food onto your plate, isn’t that automatically a strike against it? If you’re going on a first date, and your date shows up looking like they slept in their clothes and haven’t combed their hair in a week, would you find yourself trying to come up with an excuse to break the date? I don’t care how open-minded you may consider yourself to be, I think we all must admit that looks do matter, and often, we are quick to judge. I’m not saying that our impressions are set in concrete or are unchangeable but first impressions do matter.

            Criminal science devotes a great deal of time to studying why witnesses see what they see and remember only select parts of what they see. There is a new television show called “Irrational,” that deals with a lot of these types of issues. ( I highly recommend it as a good watch.)The human mind can receive enormous amounts of data from our (six) senses almost instantaneously. However different factors can play a role in how fast, how much, and what parts of that data we can process. For example, when you are stressed, scared, sleepy, etc., that will limit your ability to recall perfectly. And of course, there are natural barriers such as old age, poor hearing, or eyesight, and preconceived biases. Eyewitness testimony is flawed, to say the least, and unreliable at best.

            So, if we accept what I have presented so far, can we agree that humans are sometimes too quick to judge? We rely heavily on what we see. And we can’t be certain or trust that we processed all the information correctly! So, what does all this mean? If you can’t trust what you see with your own eyes, what can you trust? My wife and I laugh about this now, but many years ago, we hadn’t been married too long, there was an incident involving a cigarette lighter that came rolling out from under the passenger side floor of the car, when I hit the brakes a little too hard. My wife asked me who it belonged to, and I nonchalantly replied, I have no idea. To make a long story short, she knew it wasn’t hers, I couldn’t explain where it had come from and jealousy took over and we had a fight. In her mind, there was only one possible conclusion, that being that I had someone else in the car. Since it is nearly impossible to prove you didn’t do something, we were at a stalemate. Finally, her better judgment kicked in and her jealousy subsided, and we made up. Weeks later, her friend asked her if she had left her lighter in her car, the day they ate lunch together! (Boy did she have some sucking up to do LOL) So, you see what I’m driving at is this, sometimes we can only imagine this or that scenario as the only possible truth, when in fact it can be something else altogether. (By the way, in all fairness, she has a story she can tell about me too, but since I am the one at the keyboard, we won’t go there.)

            God knows about our limited wisdom and has many warnings in his Holy Word, about jealousy, rushing to judgment, vengeance belonging to him, and many more. If you were a juror on a murder trial where someone’s life hung in the balance, and your verdict determined whether they lived or died, you would put deep thought and take much consideration, before casting your vote of guilt or innocence. That is how much effort we should exert before saying something that could destroy someone’s life or reputation. In James 1:19 it says, “Wherefore my beloved bretheren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  It’s one thing to form an opinion of someone and risk misjudging them and not giving them a fair chance to prove themselves to you. It’s a whole other thing to publicly defame or slander someone. You may not ever know the full extent of the repercussions, caused by one careless statement or even worse, malicious gossip. People find it easy to believe the worst in others, and Evil has a way of having a domino effect! Remember what Jesus taught us in his model prayer, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others theirs.

            God gives us wisdom when we ask for it. But our wisdom is extremely limited compared to his and should only be used to discern his word and know good from evil. Whenever possible, we should leave the judging to God, who we know is just and righteous. I try to keep in mind, the story of the men wanting to stone to death the woman caught in the act of adultery and Jesus telling them, He who is without guilt, cast the first stone.” I know, as far as I am concerned, I would be unable to even pick up a small pebble. I try to remember how many times in my life, I have misjudged a person or situation. I use that to temper my eagerness to pass judgment. I try to remember the times when people misjudged me or my character. I try to consider how un-just I felt they were being. I try to remember all the times I was guilty of the crime for which I was accused, but later regretted it and sought forgiveness. And most important, I think about all the sins that God has forgiven me for, and in return, commanded that I forgive others. I try to remind myself that if I am unwilling to forgive others their sins, he may become hesitant to forgive me.

            There are hidden benefits to forgiveness. By forgiving someone, you free yourself of carrying that bitterness or anger trapped inside you. Forgiveness allows you to let go of the emotions that came with the hurt they caused you, which acts like a cancer and eats away at you as long as you hold on to that feeling of being a victim. Those same emotions also separate us from God and prevent him from taking care of our situation. As long as you keep those feelings of wanting revenge, it signifies you are trying to stay in control of the situation instead of passing it over to God and asking him to deal with it as he sees fit Being a judge carries a tremendous burden, and it’s one that we don’t need and shouldn’t be involved with. God tells us to seek the things of Heaven and all things shall be added unto us. Meaning, that he will seek the justice we deserve without risking doing something to harm ourselves even further. The little incident I mentioned earlier about my wife was embarrassing, but can you imagine ruining someone’s whole life and later finding out they are innocent?

            What about judging people by their looks? How does God feel about that? I think he expects us to apply the wisdom he gives us. Since there is no way, we can explore the what-ifs of every conceivable situation. I can only address this in broad strokes. Would God get upset with us over our prejudices when it comes to judging strangers about our safety? I doubt it. I think he would encourage you to trust your instincts. But I will say, he frowns on mistreating anyone because of their appearance. If a person wanders into church, sits down beside you, and you snub them because they aren’t dressed right or have long hair and tattoos, do you think he would be very happy with you? Is that showing the love of Christ? Jesus didn’t come to find well-dressed saints. We have no way of knowing this person’s history or what brought them through those doors, so we should just be very happy they are there and do everything within our means, to make them feel welcome. I’ve often wondered if John the Baptist or Jesus himself walked into half of the modern-day churches, if he would be welcomed, or asked to leave.

            And this question I direct to some of you non-believers, some of you accuse Christians of being judgemental and uninclusive.  But isn’t it you who is judging Christ, based on hearsay and innuendo? How can you make an informed decision about him unless you are willing to learn about him and offer him a chance to prove himself to you? Maybe, some over-jealous Christian with good intentions did rub you wrong. Maybe you tried one of those intolerant churches I mentioned earlier who mistreated you over your looks, if that happened, I am truly sorry. But don’t allow a flawed human being to keep you from finding out who Jesus really is, and what he wants to do for you in your life. If you are mature enough as a person, to admit that we all can be wrong, then perhaps it’s time to find out who Jesus is for yourself!

 

Scripture of The Day:   Galatians 3:28

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond or free, there is neither male or female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

           

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 Artesian vs Celestial Water

October 19, 2024

                I grew up as one of those kids who drank from the neighbors’ water hose. If we were out playing (and yes, I did mean playing outdoors) and got thirsty, we didn’t have our 50-dollar Stanleys filled with “sparkling” water. We didn’t know what an energy drink was, we had two choices, hot or cold, and quite honestly it didn’t really matter to us. If you had told me that I would pay 2 dollars for a 12 oz. bottle of water as an adult, I would have laughed at you and told you that you were crazy. Water is free! It falls from the skies. Why would anyone pay for water? Of course, at that time, I didn’t know the water and sewer bill came each month either. (Here we go again Grand-paw what will you talk about next, having to send puffs of smoke to make a phone call?)

            Am I the only one this bothers? Our city has a Water Department that is primarily responsible for ensuring our water is safe to drink. On top of that, my refrigerator has a built-in water filter that bullies me into replacing a 60-dollar cartridge about every six months. But when these kids are thirsty, they think they have to have the bottled water that I try to keep for company or in case you might need to take a drink with you occasionally. I checked into that bottled water and the majority of it is filtered tap water, and the others boast they are from a natural spring which is a fancy way of saying a hole in the ground or a well. I’m not saying anything bad about a well, but I remember drawing water from a well as a kid and finding sand or lizards, and the well at my Grand-Ma’s house smelled like spoiled eggs. So please don’t feed me this fancy-schmancy stuff about artesian or anything else, it is a hole in the ground filled with water.

            (Now settle down Grand-Paw you know ranting isn’t good for your blood pressure) Well, what got me started on all this was yesterday when I took the Grand-Children to the store with me and the older one had some money that was burning a hole in her pocket and she picked up this fancy metal can of flavored water and was going to buy it and it was almost 5-dollars for this little can of WATER! When I questioned her about it, because we don’t allow them to drink energy drinks, she said no this one is a hydration drink. It doesn’t have caffein, sugar, or calories. Well in my mind, for 5-dollars, it should have had extra of all of those and threw in a little fluoride to keep their teeth healthy too! Is plain water not a hydration drink? So what, if they added a drop of flavoring and put it in a can, it’s still 99.9% H2O?

            Anyway, enough of my rant. All that made me think about Jesus and the woman at the well. If you’re not familiar with it, you can Read John Chapter 4. I won’t recap the whole story but I want to emphasize a couple often overlooked points found in this story. #1 Jesus went out of his way to go to this particular well at that exact time, just to meet this woman. He is the good shepherd who will leave the ninety-nine to go find the one lost sheep. He makes a way to come meet each of us at some point in our life. And just like this woman, we can choose to believe on him, or go on about our life. #2 My second point is how when he offered her water that she would never thirst again, she didn’t understand what he was offering her, she just gladly accepted it as a shortcut and an easy way out of never having to draw and carry that heavy water again. It reminds me of something I’ve heard people say and to tell the truth, I’ve said it myself as a younger more foolish man. I’ve heard people say, that all I have to do to be saved is tell God I accept him as my savior and admit I am a sinner, and I am covered. If there is a God, I’m safe, and if there isn’t, what have I lost?

            Friend, salvation is, but it’s not as simple as that! Doing what I just described, is Not getting saved! What you are doing is no more than a gambler trying to hedge his bet, and it will not save your soul! Yes, God lays out the requirements to us in black and white, plain English so we will know what is required of us. But,,,,repentance occurs in the heart and in the soul, not in the mind. If you try to play lawyer and find a loophole, you are playing with the wrong person! God not only knows your heart but knows every thought you have ever or will ever have. You or nobody else is going to fool him, the only one you might fool is yourself. If you don’t believe what I’m saying, let’s continue on to verse 17, where Jesus asked her to go call her husband. He knew she didn’t have a husband, and he wasn’t even testing her to see if she would prove herself to be truthful, he already knew her heart. He did this to prove who he was to her. Once he told her about her life, she was convinced he was a prophet, so when he told her he was the Messias she believed him and went and told everyone she knew to come and see the Messias.

            Satan tries to over-complicate and change what it takes and what it means to be saved. Some people want to change it to suit themselves. Others want it, but not truly understanding what it means or how to go about it, they avoid it or put it off. Still, others have swallowed into the nonsense that they must fix themselves first before they can come to God. That one makes as much sense as having to get better before you can go see a doctor. God knows that if we could fix ourselves, we would do so, and if we could, we wouldn’t need him. He asks us to come as we are, beaten battered, and ashamed. He is the Great Physician who has the cure for what ails us. As for everything else, all he asks is that we admit the condemnation that our spirit feels, by admitting that we are a sinner. Believe that Jesus is the one true Son of God who was born of a virgin, and died on the cross, as payment for our sins. (But let’s not forget, he arose, we don’t worship a dead God). Then confess him publicly as the Lord of your life. There is no more to it than that, but it does have to be real! You are not going to fool God.

            As for some of the other things people get hung up on and confused about salvation, let’s dispel this one misconception right now. Jesus doesn’t expect anyone to be perfect or even come close to it. His chosen apostles were very flawed men. God doesn’t care who you are, he’s concerned with who he can help you become! God tells us in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;” Another common misconception is that Christians do not consider themselves perfect nor are we expected to be. Any person, Christian or not, who thinks they are sinless, is deceiving themselves. Romans 3:23 says, “For we have all sinned, and come short of the glory of God” And man can not atone for his own sins by good works, thus is our need for Grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, ”For by Grace ye are saved through faith, and not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

            If your life is perfect, if you are perfect, then I have wasted your time, but if there is that nagging doubt, that feeling that something is missing, or if your life is just such a nightmare you know there has to be a better way, come taste of that living water Jesus offered the woman at the well. Come eat of the bread of life, that will allow you never to hunger. Quit listening to all the reasons not to change your life, and find the peace, that surpasses all understanding. Maybe your life has been pretty good up till now, maybe your life has been horrific, either way, you will never experience a greater love than the one you can share with your Heavenly Father. When you are truly thirsty, there are no limits to what you will do for a drink. But when your soul becomes thirsty, we tend to try to pacify it with everything, except what will quench the burning fire.

 

Scripture of The Day: Revelation 22:17

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

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Monster Under My Bed

By: Candi Hamlin

October 13, 2024

When I was a small child, I occasionally had problems falling asleep because I imagined a monster under my bed. My father, the toughest man in the world, would have to come and check and chase it out if it was there, then I had no trouble going to sleep. Once I started school, I had 3 friends that I considered my besties. I ran looking for them in the morning as soon as I got to school. We would walk down the halls together, talking about what test we had, our most dreaded teacher, and who we were crushing on at the time. Then we had to part ways as we got to our homeroom classes, but not before promising we would see each other at lunch. Those were the best days! 

As I grew older, life changed for me in so many ways, most of them for the worse. I was forced to move from school to school for most of my life. My dad was a Chief  Petty Officer in the Navy, so we moved to several locations in 4 years, and in three different states to be exact. As a way to cope with separation issues, I learned not to get too attached to anyone and keep a wall between me and most everything in life. Around age 10, my parents divorced, and I was forced to move several more times. I began to romanticize that I was a gypsy. I was so tired of uprooting my life and fed up with the fear that came with it. I was tired of being scared and tired of being the new kid. In my young mind, it was the most frightening experience ever, to walk into a classroom, with everyone staring, and the teacher forcing you to introduce yourself. (Good thing I am tough)

I found that I no longer even tried making new friends. I no longer expected to have someone excited to see me when I walked into the school. I didn’t even care if I ate lunch alone. I was ok with that. Well, at least that’s what I told myself. To be honest I was still terrified and felt so alone. High school typically isn’t known as a place to make you feel safe or comfortable. And mine certainly was no exception. You’re either in a click or you’re an outcast. Since I considered myself strong and independent, belonging to a click was not an option. So, I remained an outcast. But it was honestly ok. I would never survive pretending to be someone who followed suit with a group of silly girls. I knew I was more of a leader, so I just toughed it out. 

What I didn’t realize, is that I was sad, and not just a little bit, I was very sad. And I couldn’t understand why I should feel that way, but I did. I really didn’t need anyone I was just fine all by myself! My Daddy had taught me to be not only a survivor but a warrior as well. Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome the situation! So, like any good soldier, I stayed strong and carried on.

I am blessed to have an amazing family. I grew up with my many cousins, my aunts, and a slew of uncles. Not to mention, my amazing grandmother, who I loved dearly and who left such a huge impression on my life, that I will carry her to my grave. We had huge family dinners, spent the Holidays together, and once we had this reunion, where we even held a talent show! It was so corny, it would have made the Hee Haw Show look sophisticated! My uncles should have been comedians. They were always making us kids laugh. My Uncle Joe was the youngest of Mom’s siblings and he is the sweetest and funniest man you could ever meet.  I always looked forward to getting to see them. Except for the one time when one of them thought it would be hilarious to tie a noose and hang my baby doll. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. I had some wonderful aunts as well. They just weren’t as funny (but at least they never tried to execute my dolls). LOL. As good as my life was and with all the great people, I had who loved me, I was still sad. So why was I?  I was angry at myself for being sad when I had a beautiful caring mom, a loving dad, a brother that I couldn’t live without, and so much more. What I know now, that I didn’t know then, is that I had built a wall around me, to protect myself, and it had become my prison. I only allowed people to get so close, even when there were so many times, I prayed for someone to knock down my wall and rescue me.

My mom remarried when I was 13. This began a new chapter in my life that was darker than anything I had ever experienced and was totally unprepared for. I’m not exactly ready to publicly discuss it yet, but maybe someday I will be, and that can be a whole other story. But for now, I will say that the monster under my bed at that time was real and something to be feared. And oh, how I wished I could have screamed for my father to come and chase it away! But once again, I cowboyed up and survived. 

I lost my mom to cancer in 1996. I held her hand and watched as this monster devoured her from the inside out. I watched helplessly, as it consumed her physically and emotionally. I watched that monster suck her life-blood out of her and take everything she had except for her courage, her love for me and others, and her belief in God. I don’t know which is worse, the helplessness or the feeling of being alone in this world, with no one to turn to. It was total devastation. I lost a large part of my world when I lost her. And again, I sucked it up, stood on my own two feet, and forced myself to go on living. My mom had asked her siblings to look after me, even though I was 25 years old. Another example of why she was such a great mom. Her brothers heard her, and they did just that. I was a rowdy one, to say the least, so it was hard to slow me down. But they did! Can you believe it? Somehow they managed to get through to me and calm me down. My Uncle Jesse is the only one who lived nearby and he got me to look at life differently, and most of all, helped me find God. I found myself leaning on him and his wife almost daily. I would text them, call them, and talk much longer than they wanted to, we would meet and go out to lunch or dinner. And suddenly, I was not afraid anymore. I felt safe, protected, and loved. I lost my beloved uncle Jesse to cancer as well. And that was also one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. But God once again, God met my needs. After losing Jesse, it caused me to get closer to another one of my uncles. And even though we rarely see each other and we live over 4 hours apart, we talk almost every day. We pray together. I love his wife dearly, and I pray for her and the kids before I go to bed at night, and they pray for me and my brood. He answers all of my questions about God and his word. He gives me advice on life and its hardships. He makes me laugh when I am down, and he prays for me daily. All I had to do, to not be alone, was to put my guard down and realize that God does not want us to do this alone. When he created Adam, he said, “That it is not good for man to be alone,” and he created for him a companion. He wants us to have friends and relationships with our loved ones, (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11), but most of all, he wants to have a close personal relationship with us. (He wants to be our bestie).

What I know now, that I didn’t know then, what I wish I had known as that scared little girl, is God is always there for us, just like my family was there for me. But the big difference between family and God is family can’t always be there, God is. Family can’t always deal with your monsters, but God can. We just have to take the leap of faith. Scream out to your Heavenly Father, let him chase away the monsters, and allow you to let go of your fears. As President Reagan once said to Gorbachev,” Knock down that wall!”  It’s normal and ok to be scared. But it’s much easier to face your fears with your bestie by your side. You don’t have to face them alone. Mathew 28:20 says, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

If you feel sad, scared, or alone, don’t wait any longer. Call out to God. He is there! He is waiting for you. He already knows us inside and out, and he knows we’re scared. He knows that we feel so lost and alone. But he doesn’t force himself on anyone, he is just waiting for us to call out his name. Ask him to walk with you, and he will. But, not only will he do that, he will carry you through your times of trouble. Read Footprints in the Sand. How badly I wish I could go back and say all these things to that scared little girl I once was, so she wouldn’t have had to walk alone. I wish I could put my arms around her and assure her none of that was her fault, But I am happy to say, I’m no longer a scared and lonely adult woman since I let the Lord come into my life. I am happy and full. God has freed me from my guilt and shame. Though I may carry the scars of my childhood with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to let any monster keep me his slave. No, I’m not going to say life is problem-free. But now when I must deal with a monster, or I am scared or lonely, I just call out to my Heavenly Father, and he takes care of all my needs. He will do this for you too. I promise he will.

P.S. Don’t let a wall of your own making keep you from reaching out to someone you love, a friend, or a neighbor. I bet they feel, or have felt just like you. I hope that sharing my story will encourage someone to stand up to their monsters and convince them to reach out to God and get the help they need to finally escape their prison of fear. Monsters deserve to be in prison, not you, or me!

 

 

 

 

Editors Note:

We all have our monsters, most of us have walls. These two things share a common trait, they are born in the darkness. They live and feed on darkness. And they cease to be when exposed to light. Jesus said he is the light of the world, and that he came, so we could have life more abundantly. You don’t have to let darkness control and steal your life. You don’t have to live in a prison of darkness and fear. Invite him into your life and his light will dispel the darkness and allow you to let the light inside of you shine brightly, as God intended it to.

 

Special Note of Thanks:

Candi insisted that I take some of the credit for this story, but all I did was encourage her to write it and help organize her thoughts a bit. The Credit truly belongs to her and God.

 

 

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Satan Can be a Pest

October 11, 2024

            This morning, as I was trying to get motivated to write a story, nothing was coming to me. There are those times when I have struggled to come up with the right thoughts to write about. Sometimes God lays something on my heart, other times it takes a minute of thought and prayers. But I will admit, lately it has become more of a struggle since I have been doing this for a while now, and I don’t want to be repetitious. So, this morning while I was struggling for a topic to write about, it occurred to me that I needed to be fed, and I decided to read my Bible. The house was quiet, the kids were off to school, and my wife was still sleepy and decided to lay back down, so I had all the peace and quiet I needed, or so I thought!

            I opened up my Bible and started reading the book of John. It wasn’t long before this silly fly buzzed by my face and I swatted him away and continued reading. A few seconds later it landed on my hand, and I shooed it away again, only to have it land right back on my hand. I swatted at it and started studying again, only to have this evil little pest keep tormenting me and interrupting my study over and over again. Frustrated and aggravated I looked around for the fly swatter and remembered it had been taken into the kitchen the night before, and there was nothing suitable lying around handy, to swat it with. I mused to myself how this was just Satan trying to distract me from my studies and pondered on a solution. The only thing I could come up with was either stop what I was doing, and go to the kitchen, get the fly swatter, come back, and spend several minutes trying to kill this fly, or half-heartedly say, “get behind me Satan,” which is what I chose to do.

            Needless to say, a minute later the fly was right back tormenting me again. It then tried to land on my coffee cup, which would have been disgusting, but I managed to intercept him. It then landed on my Bible, but not just anywhere, it landed on the red writing of Jesus’s word. Since my mind was already playing this little game of personifying this fly to represent Satan, this act appalled me. It was as if Satan was laughing and mocking my faith and trying to show he didn’t fear or respect God’s word. I must tell on myself and admit, at that moment I wished that God would perform a miracle and cause that stupid little fly to burst into flames, right there in front of me, on that Bible page. I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be to witness such a supernatural miracle occur right there before my very eyes. You know, like to have a (Moses and the burning bush) moment all to myself.

            Suddenly I almost had to laugh aloud, because I realized that just before this interruption, I was reading, John 6:30-32, where the Jewish people were asking Jesus to show them a sign, so they could believe. And I thought about Mathew 12:34-40, where Jesus tells us he has already given us enough signs. So, I scolded myself for being greedy and started looking at that fly a little differently. I laughed to myself, and thought ok, just like Satan, I may have to suffer you for a while, but I know how this story will end. Your fate is sealed, but I know there is coming a time when I will no longer be aggravated by you. I also know that you may be able to distract me, annoy me, and try to make my life unbearable, but as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, I will prevail. So, all that said, I decided to ignore that fly, and get back to my Fathers’ work. The completion of this story is proof, that if we remain faithful and persevere, God will bless our efforts and reward us. We are promised victory through Jesus!

P.S. I am honestly laughing out loud, because the very moment, I was typing the word victory in the previous sentence, my little buddy the fly landed on my hand, and I squashed him.   SPLATT!!!!!!!   LOL

 

Scripture of The Day:    Romans 5:3-4

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

 

Editor’s Note:

I mentioned in this story about getting back to my Fathers’ work. If you are struggling with what your purpose is, I found something interesting during my study. It says in John 6:28-29, that the work of God is that you believe on him who God has sent. (meaning Jesus) That is the will of God. And once we truly do that, he will direct our path.

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Exclusively Elite

October 9, 2024

            Most of us are familiar with the term “Golden Parachute”. It generally refers to the severance package corporate leaders, politicians, and upper management or the elite class, prepare for themselves upon exiting their already cushy positions. They tend to set themselves up financially so that they can continue living their plush lifestyles after leaving their current positions.

            I was once approached with an offer to receive a golden parachute and immediately laughed at it, telling them thanks but no thanks. While one may be pretty to look at, I was no fool, it would fall like a rock. I will stick to the nylon ones. Ok, that was a pitiful attempt at humor, moving on. It does seem, that in this world the rules benefit the wealthy upper class and leave the rest of us scrambling for their table scraps. And that makes sense because the wealthy are the ones making the rules. Whether you were born into it, or a family member somehow managed to break into it, there is an elite class of people who for the most part run this world. All the breaks and good fortune tend to follow and seek out those who need it the least. It is and has always been that way. Those who are in that inner circle protect their place, and only rub elbows and make deals with others inside the circle. Anyone on the outside, must do or be something spectacular to be allowed entry to their click.

            Why do you think Jesus created such a stir of emotions and received the amount of hatred he encountered? He broke those rules. He was a nobody who was quickly becoming a somebody, and “The powers-that-be” didn’t like that one little bit. The Pharisees and Sadducees reined in the Jewish culture not only as religious leaders but were political and judicial leaders as well. Prior to the takeover of Rome, they answered to no one except themselves, and at times a king. After the siege, they became subordinate to Roman Law but continued their control of the Jewish people. As Jesus’s popularity and fame grew, they viewed Jesus as a direct threat to their power and positions. Especially when he began to rock the boat by teaching the people they were using God’s word to suit their own needs.

            Jesus didn’t cater to the Jewish rulers any more than he did the Romans. He had no aspiration to climb the corporate ladder. He had no interest in politics, and knew he had a position of authority awaiting him that was much higher than any office here on earth. Had Jesus sought to become powerful and rich, he would have and could have done things differently. He could have easily amassed an army of followers who believed in him. By using miracles and his persuasiveness, he could have overthrown their control over the Jewish people and no doubt, went on to conquer Rome and the rest of the world. But that wasn’t why he came. He wasn’t after fame or fortune, he came on a mission to free mankind from a sin debt, that none of us could ever pay on our own. He came to give not take, to offer power not enslave. He came to free mankind from a fate more horrible than we can imagine. And thank God, he didn’t come with an offer for the elite class only.

            He came into this world modestly, where he could have just as easily been born into royalty. He lived his life as a simple modest man, except for when it came to his faith. Some have speculated that he was human with Godly powers.

I want to make this perfectly clear, the following is based on my interpretation of God’s word: I say he was God first, then became a human man, with no powers every other man couldn’t possess, except for one thing. He was sinless and had perfect faith! All the miracles he performed, he didn’t actually do, God did them. They were done through faith. His life was a living example to mankind of what we were intended to be. And I truly believe that before Adam fell into sin, he could have done anything Jesus did as a man. The Bible never mentions this because Adam had no need of a miracle, he lived in a perfect world. Jesus himself told us if we had the faith of a mustard seed we could move mountains. He told his disciples they would do mightier works than he (i.e. writing the Bible). He tells us that all things are possible with God. Am I saying we can be as powerful as God? NO!!! That is absurd! But I am saying that Jesus gave us the authority to reach the Father and through and by him, and with God, all things are possible. The only thing that limits us is our lack of faith!

          Back to my main point, the only class of people that Jesus sought out, were sinners! Read Romans 2:11-16. The only fame or fortune he wanted, was in Heaven and not of this world. As he stated in John 18:36, that his kingdom was not of this world. The bible also tells us in Romans 2:11-16, “For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:” Meaning he doesn’t care about your nationality, skin color, race, sex, or whether you are rich or poor. He only cares about your heart. He did not come to help the rich get richer or the poor get poorer. He came to offer what might be the supreme Golden Parachute which there ever was or will be.  And he is making this offer to all mankind, not just the upper class.

            Have you ever been denied entry into a restaurant, club,  a school, or anything else, because you lacked the pedigree, influence, or money? Have you ever been skipped over for a promotion because you weren’t rubbing elbows with the right crowd? In High School were you part of the click or on the outside wanting in? Even at church, aren’t there usually a small handful of influencers that pretty much mandate the business of the church? Did you ever read the book, “Lord of The Flies?” It’s about a group of boys stranded on a desert island without adult supervision and having to set up their own society to get along. It is an old classic, well worth the read. It exemplifies how man will segregate and divide himself whether there is a clear division or not, and how inevitable there is always greed and a power struggle. Thankfully, God doesn’t work that way. Like I said, God does not discriminate. He loves all mankind, which is beautifully proved in John 3:16.

            If you have ever been made to feel second class or told you are not worthy, if anyone has made you feel undesirable or unloved, if you have ever yearned to belong, God is offering all these things and so much more. He is not asking your last name or your title. He doesn’t even care about your past. He doesn’t question your experience and cares nothing about your bank statement. He is only wanting to share what he has and to love you. He is offering you a Golden Parachute that is so far beyond anything the richest of the rich or the most powerful of the powerful has ever seen, there is just no comparison. Does he want anything from you? Yes, he asks for your love and devotion. Are there any requirements? Yes, but only a few. He cannot allow sin to enter Heaven, therefore your sins need to be atoned for and you need to be sanctified. Sounds complicated I know, but all that is required, is for you to admit that you are a sinner, repent of your sins (which only means to honestly want to change your life), Believe in Jesus Christ (that he is the one and only Son of God), and then ask him to come into your life and become your Lord and Savior, and the last thing being the easiest of all, publicly confess him to be your Lord and Savior. That’s all there is to it, no more no less. The only strings that are attached are to that Golden Parachute he is offering you, the one that will assure a soft gentle landing in Paradise. But, hey no one is forcing you to accept it. But without it, I sure would want to take the fall that awaits you!

 

Scripture of the Day:   John 14:6

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

 

Editors Note: Jesus stands with his hand outstretched waiting for you, that one lost sheep, to grab his hand and ask forgiveness. His offer is legitimate, and while his love is never-ending, his offer is. There is coming a time when you will seek God and it will be too late. Today is the day of salvation! Maybe you haven’t had the greatest life, here on Earth, but that doesn’t exclude you from having it in Heaven. God is only one prayer away and he is listening right now.

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Are You a Lighthouse or a Sheep

October 4, 2024

 

            Some of you may wonder why I have been absent addressing the recent storms around our country and its’ victims. It seems like that is all we have heard about in the news lately, and rightfully so. So many people lost their lives which touches the lives of others and many have suffered catastrophic damages to their homes, businesses, and property. All this is certainly newsworthy and people need to know the extent of the damage. Still, there has been a lot of greedy sensationalism employed by the media, for the sole purpose of increasing their ratings.

            Before I go any further, I want to express my wholehearted sympathy for all the people and their loved ones affected by these storms. Only they and the Lord know the kind of Hellish agony they have been through and the devastation that is yet ahead of them. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to every person who has stepped up in any form or fashion to help these people. Whether you were an emergency responder, a foodbank and shelter worker, a trucker offering your services, offered a donation for their relief services, or offered your sincere prayers. All these things and many more go into providing these poor souls with the much-needed help they are receiving.

            It is refreshing to witness the extent of people’s compassion and generosity anytime we have a major catastrophic event such as this. It warms your heart to see how kind and loving people can be when we live in a world where we are inundated with reports of greed, lust, corruption, and every type of evil known to man. But it brings forth the question, why aren’t we like this all of the time? Why does it take a huge natural disaster to spur people into acts of kindness? Is our humanity proportional to the expanse of the need? Is our compassion only present when there is a herd mentality?

            In every town, on every street, across our nation, and around the world, people are suffering, each and every day!  Maybe not to the extent of these storm victims, but hurting nevertheless. Whether it be the elderly couple next door anguishing because they can no longer maintain the yard or home, or the couple trying to hold onto their jobs while caring for their sick child, or the drug addict fresh out of rehab and has nowhere to live and no means to start their lives over. The point is, that suffering is constant and widespread. It is not limited to one race or class of people. We all have problems in our lives. And there is not a person alive, who couldn’t use a helping hand at one time or another.

            If you know me at all, you are probably anticipating how I intend to tie God into this story. Well, wait no longer. Let’s quickly address the question that I’m sure the non-believers love to ask, “If your God is so compassionate, why does he allow suffering to exist?” It would take a minimum of a full story of its’ own, to fully address this question, and I may try to do that sometime if God leads me to. But, for now, I will give you the short answer. God put man in a perfect garden where there were no problems and life was perfect, it was only when man corrupted God’s perfect gift of free will and allowed Satan to introduce sin into man’s lives that our problems began. But God’s love didn’t stop there, he saw the troubles we brought upon ourselves and sent his beloved Son to make atonement for all our sins. In John 13:16 it says,” Verily I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” While this verse is referring to serving others, it would also imply that if God was not too good to suffer what he had to suffer to send his Son on a mission that could be described as a suicide mission, then Jesus is no better than God to suffer, and therefore we are no better than Jesus to suffer. And while this is a much deeper concept and I didn’t anticipate going here, I am letting the Lord lead. As I have written about in the past, we cannot comprehend all things the same way God sees them because we are not on his level. So as strange as this may sound, God doesn’t see all suffering as bad. 1^st Peter 2:21 says, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his example.” We should all take note that he promises all things work for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Meaning, he can take something or someone bad, and make something good come from it.

            I know if you are morning the loss of a loved one, or have suffered a disaster in your life, these words may not offer you a lot of solace, But Read: Philippians 4:4-7, where it promises us, if we keep our faith in God, he will restore us and give us a peace that surpasses all human understanding.

            I want to address one final issue before closing this story. I asked the question earlier, about why we tend to only show compassion in the face of a huge disaster when there is constant suffering all around us. As Christians, we should constantly be reminded of this question. We are supposed to be the hands and feet of the Lord. It is our duty to follow God’s examples and show compassion for our fellow man at all times. Even the unbelievers rise up and do Godly works in times of great suffering. But we are supposed to be our brother’s keeper. We are supposed to be a light unto a dark world. If we don’t act any different than the rest of the world, then how is that showing the love of Jesus to the world? How would that make a non-believer want what you have if you have nothing more than everyone else has to offer?

 

Scripture of The Day:    Colossians 3:12-17

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, longsuffering; Forebearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

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Here’s Your Sign!

October 3, 2024

                Although modern technology has greatly changed how these people go about their lives, two professions immediately come to mind, when you think about jobs where people are attuned with nature. Sailors and farmers live in harmony and at the mercy of nature. Since weather affects them so directly, they maintain a heightened awareness of nature. These people use the most up-to-date methods of for-casting weather available but seem to have innate abilities to predict natural occurrences. Their keen senses not only help to keep them safe but, in many instances, mandate their schedules. Simply by observing the skies and other predictive elements of nature, they instinctively know when to plant, when and where to fish, or even when it’s time to seek shelter. (Red sky at night, sailor’s delight- red sky by morning, sailors take warning). Or the farmer planting by the signs of the moon.

 I used to scoff at such things until my mother made a believer out of me. I helped her grow a small garden and one year I told her I had time and wanted to plant green beans. She insisted the signs weren’t right and we should wait. I protested and said the sign that I had time was all I needed, so we agreed that I would plant only two rows. It was nearly three weeks later before she said the signs were right and we planted her two rows. Long story short, her rows came in a week ahead of mine, produced twice as much, and were prettier beans.

            I said all that to compare man’s forecasting skills, to what is happening all around us. In my lifetime, I have never encountered the number of people worried about and taking notice of, the extreme amount of unrest in the world. Everyone you talk to is commenting on how crazy our world has become. The amount of violence, corruption, greed, and immorality, has caught everyone’s eyes. Christians and non-believers as well, are picking up on what might best be described as vibrations, and forecasting that something big is coming and life-changing events are imminent. In one of my past stories, I spoke about trusting your gut, staying in tune with it, and trusting your intuition. And while that is sound advice for the non-believer, Christians should seek God’s wisdom and know, that He often imparts it to us through our instincts.

            The Bible tells us Mathew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only.” But many places in the Bible offer signs that should clue us, to when the end of time as we know it will be. Read Mathew 24, it contains many of these clues.

            But I want to issue a warning to all people, especially Christians. We should not get bogged down or consumed with worry over when that time will be. Our walking orders are to prepare ourselves and be ready to go, whenever the Lord calls us. We are compared to the Virgins in wait for their groom. Our mission is no different than the one God issued to Noah. And that is to diligently do his work, by telling everyone that day is coming and to ready ourselves for His coming. I know I’ve talked a lot lately about distractions and how Satan wants to keep us busy with everything but that which is truly important. He has lost claim to our souls and knows we are sealed by the blood of Christ. But he wants to prevent us from spreading the Gospel of God to others and losing more souls.

            We must not be like the world, and allow ourselves to become obsessed with current events and get wrapped up in worry and unrest. This battle was fought and won long ago by our savior Jesus Christ who conquered the Devil and Hell and Death. We all know how the story ends, so we need not get caught up in every twist of the plot and every distraction Satan places in our way. We need not watch the skies like the sailor, in fear of the next storm. We don’t have to anguish whether our crops are going to produce. Our concern is to stay focused on planting the seeds and God will take care of the rest. We are not capable of saving anyone and that is not our job, we can only point them to the one who can save them. Read 1^st Corinthians 3:4-8.  And by spreading His gospel, we are fulfilling the commandment God assigned every Christian.

            If you find yourself getting caught up in looking for signs from God, remember this, Jesus said that an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and the only one that he will give us is that which he gave Jonah. So what was that sign you may ask. He was referring to the fact that just as Jonah remained in the belly of the great fish, so did the Son of man remain in the grave. But he defeated Death and Hell and most of all Satan when he arose from the grave. That alone is the cornerstone of our faith and should be more than enough evidence that we can put our faith and trust in him. And though he did many miracles throughout the Bible and still continues to perform them daily, we should not expect or require him to prove himself to us any further. We should strive to avoid worry because, in a sense, that is like asking him for another sign. He tells us over and over again to trust him to provide for our needs and only think about Heavenly concerns.

            Yes, we are all human, and it is in our nature to worry about when the end is coming, or how we are going to meet our needs, but be reminded, that our nature is sinful. Only by seeking and trusting in God can we separate ourselves from the rest of the world and quit being tormented by the constant doubt and fear Satin tries to instill in us. Only through God can you acquire a peace that surpasses understanding. And only through God can you have that blessed assurance of a victorious and happy eternal life. If the signs are telling us anything, and I fully believe they are, they are telling us to repent our sins, turn our lives over to God, and allow him to do what he does best, Love and protect us, like only the greatest Father in existence could.

 

Scripture of The Day:   Mathew 13:22

“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

 

Editors Comment: This scripture refers to those who hear God’s word and accept it, but still allow the thorns of life’s concerns choke out and take away the nutrition from the good seed. If we spend all our time and efforts on life’s distractions, we render ourselves unable to become fruitful.